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LottieFiles vs Xara Designer Pro+

LottieFiles logo

LottieFiles

Design

Authoring, hosting and delivery platform for Lottie vector animations

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Xara Designer Pro+ logo

Xara Designer Pro+

Design

Desktop publishing, web design, photo editing and graphic design in one workspace

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only LottieFiles has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: LottieFiles lottie only renders the After Effects features the player libraries implement, so expressions, most effects, layer styles and merge paths behave inconsistently or fail outright, and you must test every animation on web, iOS and Android before shipping.; Xara Designer Pro+ compatible with Windows only; the product page states no Mac version
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LottieFiles and Xara Designer Pro+ actually diverge.

Attributes where LottieFiles and Xara Designer Pro+ differ
AttributeLottieFilesXara Designer Pro+
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer user per monthone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidWeb

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Design).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in LottieFiles

  • Lottie Creator
  • After Effects plugin
  • Figma plugin
  • dotLottie
  • Hosted delivery
  • Player SDKs

Only in Xara Designer Pro+

Nothing recorded that LottieFiles does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

LottieFiles

  • Replacing a heavy GIF or MP4 loading state with a vector animation that costs a few kilobytesnot Xara Designer Pro+
  • Shipping the identical animated brand asset to a website, an iOS app and an Android app from one source filenot Xara Designer Pro+
  • Handing motion work from a designer to engineers without exporting frames or writing animation codenot Xara Designer Pro+
  • Auditing and version-controlling a library of micro-interactions across a design systemnot Xara Designer Pro+

Xara Designer Pro+

  • Desktop publishing and professional layout workflowsnot LottieFiles
  • Web design and e-commerce site creation without codenot LottieFiles
  • Photo editing and image retouching for visual projectsnot LottieFiles
  • Graphic design and illustration in single workspacenot LottieFiles
  • Multi-discipline creative work with unlimited flexibilitynot LottieFiles

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

LottieFiles

  • Lottie only renders the After Effects features the player libraries implement, so expressions, most effects, layer styles and merge paths behave inconsistently or fail outright, and you must test every animation on web, iOS and Android before shipping.
  • Runtime cost scales with path and keyframe count, so a detailed illustration animated at 60fps can consume more CPU on a low-end Android handset than the video it was meant to replace.
  • The free plan caps private files and collaborators, so once a team standardises on the platform for handoff the seat count grows with reviewers and stakeholders, not just with animators.
  • Using the hosted CDN puts a third-party request in your page or app load path; self-hosting removes that dependency but also removes the versioning and analytics that justified the subscription.
  • The browser editor still does not replace After Effects for character work or complex effects, so most studios keep an Adobe subscription running alongside it and pay for both.

Xara Designer Pro+

  • Compatible with Windows only; the product page states no Mac version

Pricing, plan by plan

LottieFiles

Free
  • Free$undefined/month
    • Public and limited private files
    • Basic editor access
    • Open-source players and SDKs
  • Pro$undefined/month
    • Private workspaces
    • Version history
    • Team review and handoff
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • SSO
    • Admin controls
    • Volume seat management

Xara Designer Pro+

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Xara Designer Pro+ review.

Which should you pick?

Choose LottieFiles if

  • You need lottie creator.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
  • You also want after effects plugin.
LottieFiles review

Choose Xara Designer Pro+ if

Nothing in the data separates Xara Designer Pro+ from LottieFiles on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Xara Designer Pro+ review

Questions people ask

Is LottieFiles or Xara Designer Pro+ better?
Neither clearly leads. LottieFiles starts at Free and Xara Designer Pro+ at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LottieFiles or Xara Designer Pro+?
LottieFiles has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for LottieFiles and On request for Xara Designer Pro+.
Does LottieFiles or Xara Designer Pro+ run on more platforms?
LottieFiles runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. Xara Designer Pro+ runs on Web.
Can I use LottieFiles for free?
Yes. LottieFiles has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Xara Designer Pro+ starts at On request.
What is LottieFiles best used for?
LottieFiles is most often used for replacing a heavy gif or mp4 loading state with a vector animation that costs a few kilobytes, shipping the identical animated brand asset to a website, an ios app and an android app from one source file, handing motion work from a designer to engineers without exporting frames or writing animation code, auditing and version-controlling a library of micro-interactions across a design system. Of those, replacing a heavy gif or mp4 loading state with a vector animation that costs a few kilobytes and shipping the identical animated brand asset to a website, an ios app and an android app from one source file are not what Xara Designer Pro+ is typically brought in for.
What can LottieFiles do that Xara Designer Pro+ cannot?
LottieFiles covers Lottie Creator, After Effects plugin, Figma plugin, dotLottie.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

LottieFiles: Do I need After Effects to produce Lottie files?

No. Lottie Creator and the Figma plugin both output Lottie directly. Character animation and anything using complex effects still goes through After Effects.

Xara Designer Pro+: Does Xara Designer Pro offer a free trial?

Yes, Xara Designer Pro offers a free trial download, allowing users to test the software before purchasing.

Source
LottieFiles: Is the format proprietary?

No. The Lottie JSON schema and the player libraries are open source under permissive licences and dotLottie is an open container, so files keep working after you stop paying.

LottieFiles: Why does the same file look different on Android?

Each platform ships its own renderer with its own level of feature support. Test the exact file on every target rather than trusting the After Effects preview.

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